cross posted from samba...

How common is it to have the protective pipe installed in the shift
linkage assembly? My van does not have it, and to tell you the truth
I can not recall seeing another van around here with it. Shown in
image here:

http://www.auto-parts.spb.ru/cat/au/pics/vw1_006920059.gif

I believe it was part of a "bad weather" or "bad conditions" package,
maybe it was offered as a 16" syncro option only?

Last I was driving in a combination of snow, slush, then dropping
temperatures around zero, and i found that ice / frozen slush build
up on the shift linkage made shifting difficult. I was cursing the VW
engineers until I found out that there was a solution.

cheers

alistair